Giddy Up, Loonatics!
by CassidyCoyote
Summary: The Loonatics go on a vacation to a resort called Acme West. All of them find much more than they expected. And make some peculiar friends Thunder, Ghost, Lucky, Phantom, Rusty, Shadow, and Red along the way. FINAL CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

"Giddy Up, Loonatics!" 

Prologue: "Yeehaw!"

"No. I'm not going." Tech continued to stubbornly argue against his friends.

"Come on, Tech. It'll do you some good." Lexi plopped a large, brown cowboy hat on the top of the scientist's head. The Loonatic's were preparing to go on a well-earned vacation to Acme West, a resort outside of Acmetropolis. At first, Tech almost decided to go, until he heard that it would be three weeks of no technology.  
"Go on without me, I'll be fine here." Tech removed the hat from his head.

"Okay, enough's enough, Tech! We all know you really like being in your lab for countless hours, but we're going on this vacation together." Ace folded his arms.

Tech still refused.

"Don't make me unleash my secret weapon." Cassidy taunted.

"And what would that be?"

Cassidy then folded her arms behind her back, tilted her head, and pouted. "It'll be more fun if we all went together." She whined.

'Oh no.' Tech thought. 'Not the puppy-dog pout!' This was almost as bad as seeing Rev depressed. And Cassidy was faking it. 'I must be going soft.' But, he managed to keep his cool.

Seeing that Cassidy's attempt was having very little effect on Tech, Rev and Lexi joined in. That was too much for even Tech. "All right." He sighed. "I'll come."

The other Loonatics cheered. Rev grabbed the cowboy hat off the floor and plopped it back on Tech's head. "YEEHAW!"

(end prologue)


	2. Chapter 2  Welcome To Acme West

Chapter 2: "Welcome to Acme West"

"Are we there yet?" Rev continued to question from his seat, his neck craned so he could see the road ahead.

"That's the twenty-fourth time you've asked us in the last ten minutes! Keep your shorts on, Rev. We'll be there in.." Tech glanced at his watch,"twenty minutes."

"Yes, PLEASE keep your shorts on!" Duck commented. Everyone except Rev got Duck's point and glared at him.

Cassidy looked at Tech. "I bet that Rev will say, 'Are we there yet?' at the most, another fifty-eight times before we get there." Cassidy whispered to him.

"I bet more than that." The two coyotes shook their hands in agreement.

"Egukala hungry!" Slam rubbed his stomach, which growled loudly.

Everyone else sighed.

20 MINUTES LATER:

"Are we there yet?"

"NO REV!"

"Wait, we are there!" Lexi pointed out the window at a large wooden sign. "Welcome to Acme West, a slice of the past in the middle of the present." Lexi read. "Not very catchy."

Ace, who was driving, parked their vehicle at the end of the large, gravel driveway. The seven Loonatics climbed out of it excitedly.

All of them were awe-struck at what lay before them. A large, stately barn stood infront of even larger, sprawling green pastures behind it.

Cassidy faced Tech. "Ha! Rev said it fifty-seven times! I win!"

"No, he said it fifty-nine times" Tech disagreed.

A tall, older-looking man walked up to them. "Hello, I'm Frank Boswell. You must be the Loonatics, right?"

Ace held out his hand for the man to shake. "Hi. Yes, this is us. I'm Ace, this is Lexi, Duck, Rev, Slam, and..." he paused when he reached Tech and Cassidy, who were still arguing, "and these two are Tech and Cassidy." He said their naems louder than usual, hoping to catch their attention. And it worked.

Mr. Bowell motioned to a stable boy for him to came over. "Would you mind showing our guest to their rooms?" He asked.

"Of course not, Sir." The boy responded.

"This is Ben, he will show you to the cabin."

Ben gathered as many bags as he could carry, and the guys grabbed the rest. After climbing a fleet of stairs, Ben stopped at three doors. He pointed to one. "Girls, this will be your room." Lexi and Cassidy entered the room. Inside was a large wooden bunkbed, a small wood desk, and a couple wood dressers. "It's beautiful." Lexi commented, and Cassidy agreed. They then clained their bags from the pile and left the boys.

"Lexi! You've got to come see this!" Cassidy was looking out the window. Lexi joined her. The window overlooked a bright green pasture, in it were a dozen or so horses contentedly munching on grass, their tails swishing at bugs. Both of the girls knew that this was going to be their best vacation ever.

-  
Ben pointed to the two remaining doors. "You guys can choose who goes in which room. If you need anything, just ask anybody with the pin on their shirt." He showed them the star-shaped pin he was wearing on his jacket.

One room had three beds, and the other had only two. They agreed on Rev and Tech in the second room, and Ace, Duck, and Slam in the third.

Rev excitedly zipped arond their new room. "Wow Tech! This is so awesome! I've never been at a place like this! Man, I can't wait to go see the horses! I wonder when we'll go riding?!"

Tech set his suitcases on his bed. "I'm sure you'll survive."

(end chapter 1) 


	3. Chapter 3 : Thunder and Phantom

Chapter 2: "Thunder and Phantom"

After unpacking, the Loonatics met in the lobby in the main floor. Mr. Boswell also joined them, offering a tour of the stable. He led them into the barn. As they walked in, they were met by the sweet aroma of hay and oats. Inside the barn were rows and rows of large box stalls. All of the horses poked their heads over their stall walls and nickered to them.

"Feel free to look around. You may each pick a horse to ride and take care of if you wish. We also have many other activities like sports, crafts, and things like that." Mr. Boswell instructed.

Cassidy, Rev, and Lexi, being the most enthusiastic out of the group, were the first ones to start inspecting the residents of the stalls.

Ace casually leaned against a stall wall. Suddenly, a large, velvety grey nose began to sniff his shirt curiously. Ace jumped sideways slightly, and Lexi laughed. "You scared of a little pony, cowboy?"

Mr. Boswell chuckled and scratched the grey horse's ears. "This is Penny. She's a real sweetheart."

Rev peeked over the edge of the wall. "I think she's been eating too much grass." He commented, pointing to the mare's overly large, round belly.

"Oh, no. She needs all the food she can get. She's in foal."

Everyone except Tech and Cassidy stared at him blankly.

"She's expecting." Tech explained.  
"Oh..."

Ace rubbed the mare's neck. She was pretty, but it was the horse next to her that caught Ace's eye. In the stall next to her was a tall, muscular stallion. His steel grey coat shone like a brand new nickle. "Thunder." He read the name plate on the door. "That seems to suit you."

"Who's the father?" Tech asked, still talking about Penny.

"One of our greatest stallions, Thunder." Mr. Boswell pointed to the horse that was sniffing Ace.

Meanwhile, the others had split up. Cassidy walked down a ailse of stalls, peeking to see who was in each one. There were horses of all colours, shapes and sizes, from a group of tiny Shetland ponies, to a huge Clydesdale. Most of the horses were stocky Quarter Horses, so-called from their ability to outrun a Thoroughbred, another kind of race horse, in a quarter-mile run.

Cassidy stopped in suprise when she spotted what she thought was the most beautiful horse in the stable. The horse had a honey-coloured coat with white splotches all over. Her wavy, light cream mane seemed to float as she walked towards Cassidy. In the middle of her forehead was another white spot, this one in the shape of a ghost. She looked at the name plate. "Phantom" It read.

She studied the horse up and down, trying to guess her breed. It was hard. she had thin, slender legs and a rough figure. A cross-breed, perhaps? But, there was something, something inside her, that was telling her this would be the right horse. She scratched Phantom's forehead. "Hi, Phantom."

(end Chapter 2) 


	4. Chapter 4 : Rusty, Lucky, and Ghost

Chapter 3: "Rusty, Lucky, and Ghost"

Tech slowly walked past several stalls, stroking the horses that sniffed him. He paused at a particular one. He was tall, sleek, muscular. His coat was a reddish-brown, more red than brown. His hindquarters were covered with small white dots. Tech guessed he was a Thoroughbred, a race horse. Suddenly, a idea popped into his mind.

"Hey, Rev, come here."

"What's up, buddy?" The speedster replied.

Tech stroked the red-brown horse. "I think I found the horse for you."

Rev studied the horse up and down. Every inch of him seemed to scream, 'I'm meant for speed.' "Wow. He sure looks fast. What's his name?"

Tech looked at the brass name plate on the stall door. "Rusty"

Rev petted Rusty. "Thanks, Tech!"

"No problem." Tech continued to walk, but stopped at the stall next to Rusty's. Indside was a short, stocky light brown gelding. He had the strangest marking on his forehead. It was shaped like a four-leaf clover. That was the only white marking on him. The horse slowly plodded over to him. Before Tech knew it, the horse's long, pink tongue was all over his face. Tech stepped back and wipped off his face with his shirt sleeve.

"Lucky" The name plate said. "Well, you sure seem friendly enough." Lucky then rubbed his head against Tech's side. "Well, no use looking any further. I've been claimed."

-  
Lexi had stopped at one horse's stall. She had her arms crossed on top of the wall. This horse was a pure white color, with a silvery mane and tail. His name was Ghost. It suited him perfectly.

"You like him, don't you?" A voice asked from behind her. Ben, the stable hand who showed them to their rooms, stood beside her.

"Yeah, he's really handsome." She smiled.

"Sadly, he can't be ridden."

"Why not?"

"When he was little, he was trained the wrong way. He may seem sweet and gentle right now, but once you get up on his back, he turns into a bucking bronco." The boy explained.

"Oh..." Lexi slowly stroked his neck. "I still like him, anyways."

(end Chapter 3) 


	5. Chapter 5 : Time To Ride!

Chapter 4: "Time To Ride!"

"Come on, slow pokes! I'm gonna beat you to the barn!" Rev called out, rushing to the door.

"Slow down, Rev. You're gonna scare the horses if you keep that up." Ace laughed, sliding on his boots.

It was the next day, and the Loonatics were getting ready to try riding. Ben and his friend Charlie showed them how to tack up the horses, and then they tried it themselves. Then they led their horses outside, and mounted.

"We are going to go in the ring for now so you and the horses can get used to each other." Ben explained, mounting on his black horse.

Ace and Thunder followed Ben into the large ring. Lexi and Annie, a dark brown horse she had picked out earlier, followed him. After them came Tech and Lucky, then Slam and the large Clydesdale, Red, then Duck and white horse with dalmatian-like spots whose name was Misty. Last was Rev, Rusty, Cassidy, and Phantom.

Phantom balked at the ring's entrance. Cassidy, who was not expecting this, was flung forward in the saddle. Charlie held Phantom's bridle.

"Sorry, miss. We were hoping Phantom wouldn't be scared with her friends in there. I guess she's just too smart." Charlie apologized.

"That's OK. But, what's bothering her?" Cassidy asked.

"Well, Phantom used to be a show horse, a jumper. But, on one of her competitions, she had a bad accident, and has been too scared to step hoof in a ring ever since."

'Just like me... too scared.' Cassidy thought, remembering the skating career she gave up after the meteor. She leaned forward, scratching Phantom's neck and whispering encouragingly into the horse's ear. "You can do it." Phantom hesitantly walked in. "Good girl." Cassidy patted her. "Don't worry, I know how you feel."

The eight horses walked in a circle around the ring. After a while, they trotted. All of the Loonatics watched Ben as he moved up and down with his mount. It took several tries, but they soon got the hang of it.

Although all the other horses were calm, almost bored, Phantom was tense and nervous. Cassidy did her best to keep herself calm, as she had heard that if you are nervous, your horse will be nervous.

The horses they choose seemed to match them. Thunder was obviously the leader, and Annie seemed to really like Thunder. It was all Rev could do to keep Rusty from running off, while Red contentedly plodded along. Misty gave Duck a hard time, pulling the reins out of the mallard's hands, refusing to go faster, suddenly swerving into the middle of the ring, and many other tricks. While Lucky was confident and easy-going, Phantom was jumpy and nervous.

After a while, they lined up in the center and dismounted. All of them got off easily, except Cassidy, as Phantom was still jumpy and nervous. When she was only half-way off, Phantom side-stepped, and Cassidy's foot slid through the stirrup.

Tech and Lucky were standing beside her. Just as Tech turned around, Cassidy fell backwards. Tech acted on instinct and caught her. He helped her free her foot. Cassidy smiled at him, blushing. "Thanks, Tech."

"You're welcome." He smiled back.

Lexi noticed the looks on both of their faces and nudged Ace. Ace just shrugged and rolled his eyes, not believing what Lexi saw between the two coyotes. 


	6. Chapter 6 : Rev, Meet Rachelle

Chapter 5:

Later the same day, Lexi was grooming Ghost. She carefully brushed the mare's snow-white coat. Ghost enjoyed this, as she didn't get much attention. Lexi, too, was enjoying this. Out of the many horses here, Ghost was the only one who had caught her attention like she did. It suprised Lexi.

"She really seem to like you."

Lexi turned around. Ben was headed for the tack room, a saddle and bridle in hand. When he came back out, he stopped to scratch Ghost's forehead. He paused for a moment, as if thinking.

"I think that, maybe... if you keep bonding with her, we just may be able to get her ridable..." He trailed off, not sounding hopeful.

"Really?" Lexi asked, intruged. Training a horse sounded like even more fun than riding a fully-trained one.

"Maybe. It's a long shot, but worth it. I've never seen her so happy with anyone else"  
-  
Meanwhile, Rev was in another aisle with Rusty. He noticed Rusty's eyes were locked on something across the aisle.

"What is it, boy?" Rev asked, trying to see what Rusty was looking at. Then, he noticed. Across from them was a bright chestnut mare, who was looking at Rusty. "Is that your girlfriend, Rusty?" Rev was then taken by suprise when a female roadrunner walked out of the stall. Her bright brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and fell just past her shoulders.

The girl noticed him. "Hi." she said, waving to him.

Rev was stunned for a moment. 'Is she talking to me?' He looked around. There was no one else in sight. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

The girl giggled at him before leaving. Rev felt like slapping himself. He couldn't believe he didn't say anything. Normally, he was the friendliest out of the group. But, it was like his mouth stopped working. He shook his head. He would have to try again.

So, he locked up Rusty's stall, and walked towards her. He tapped her shoulder. The girl turned around. She had the brightest brown eyes he had ever seen. "Uh, hi. I'm Runner. Gah, I mean Rev." He blushed slightly.

She giggled before replying. "Hi, Rev. I'm Rachelle. Are you here on vacation?"

"Yes, I'm here with my friends. There's seven of us all together."

"Cool. I go here every year for vacation. And, your horse is Rusty, right?"

"Yep." He smiled. 'I bet she knows all the horses here.'

"Mine is Flaxen. I've noticed that Rusty seems to like her."

"Yeah, he kinda does."

"Well, I've got to go. I'll see you around Rev." She waved before leaving him behind.

"Yeah, see you around."

(end chapter5) 


	7. Chapter 7 : Nervous

Chapter 6:

"Lunch?" Slam asked as the Loonatics were headed for the cabin.

"Yes, Slam, we're going to get lunch now." Duck reassured his friend, somewhat annoyed.

Suddenly, the seven heard loud barking from behind. Before they knew it, Tech and Cassidy were tackled to the ground by two happy, excited, black blurs of fur.

"Hey! Poppy! Pansy! Off!" Mr. Boswell whistled. The two dogs who had tackled Tech and Cassidy ran off. Tech and Cassidy sat up, wiping off the slober on thier faces.

The others were trying not to laugh, but Duck didn't try hard enough. "Haha! I guess that they know when they're around family, huh?"

Tech and Cassidy both shot him murder looks before standing up.

"Sorry about that, Poppy and Pansy get excited whenever there are new guests. Don't worry, they won't hurt you." Mr. Boswell apologized.

"That's OK." Th Loonatics continued towards the cabin.

When they entered the cabin, Rev froze up. He grabbed Tech's arm and pulled him into an empty hallway.

"Rev? What's the matter?" Tech asked, suprised by his actions.

"It's her." He replied quietly, peeking around the corner.

Tech peeked around the corner as well, wondering who had gotten Rev's feathers in a knot. He spotted another roadrunner. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes even darker. "So? Is she mean or something?"

"No. She's really nice. But, when I try talking to her, my mouth stops working. I'm afraid of completely embarrassing myself again."

Tech could tell what was going on. Rev liked her. He set his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Just talk to her. Be yourself. You'll get over your shyness soon enough."

Rev perked up. "Ya! You're right! Thanks, Tech!" He zipped off in her direction.

Tech smiled to himself as he watched Rev talk to Rachelle. Then he joined the others, ready to eat.

"Slam, exercise some self-control, please." Duck sighed.

Mrs. Boswell laughed. "That's OK. I enjoy seeing people enjoy my cooking."

"Really? Well then, you're going to absolutely love Slam." Lexi joked.

Slam rubbed his stomach happily.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After lunch, Lexi met Ben at Ghost's stall. They were going to do some training in the ring.

"Hey, Lexi. Ready to do some training?"

"You bet!" Lexi grabbed Ghost's lead rope and followed Ben out to the ring.

Ace leaned against the fence and watched as Lexi led the snow-white mare around the ring. There was a look of pure happiness on her face as the mare listened to her every request. A frown formed on Ace's face when Ben said something to her, and Lexi laughed. He had the feeling that maybe... he shook his head.

'Lexi's just grateful to him for helping her train Ghost.' Ace tried to reassure himself.

It wasn't until they had finished the lesson that Lexi noticed Ace. "Hi, Ace." She called out, waving to him.

"Hey, Lex." He called back. 'See? She's just thanking him.' But inside, he wasn't so sure.

(end chapter 6) 


	8. Chapter 8 : 911!

Chapter 7: 911!

_Uh-Oh_

_There you go again_

Later that same day, Tech and Cassidy were in the barn. Tech was helping Cassidy muck out Phantom's stall. Later, Cassidy would help Tech with Lucky's.

_Talking cinematic_

_Yeah, you_

The radio in the barn was playing loudly. Cassidy liked the song and soon found herself softly singing along with it.

_You're charming_

_Got everybody star-struck_

When she glanced up, she saw Tech giving her a strange look. Neither of them knew why.

_I know_

_How you always seem to go_

Cassidy told herself to stop being so silly. Knowing Tech, the chances of him falling in love with anybody, let alone herself, were slim. There was still a chance. Cassidy shook her head. As for herself, maybe, but not yet.

_For the obvious_

_Instead of me_

She had began to notice that Lexi was trying to point out something. And Cassidy knew exactly what that was. 'Lexi must have a really good imagination,' She thought, 'Cause we're just friends.'

_Just get your ticket _

_And you'll see_

This song began to get Tech thinking. Sure, he found himself amazed by the younger girl's actions and personality, but not in the way Lexi kept on pointing out.

_If we were a movie_

_You'd be the right guy_

Now that Cassidy had gotten over her intitial shyness, she began to more and more show her true colors. Tech found her to be alot like Rev, curious, playful, fun-loving. Yes, he liked her, as a friend.

_And I'd be the best friend_

_Who you'd fall in love with_

_In the end_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, most of the guests were relaxing in the lobby. Included in the group were the Loonatics and Rachelle. Suddenly, the door flew open and Mr. Boswell came rushing in, soaking wet and out of breath.

"Hurry, everybody! There's a huge storm headed this way, and we have to get the horses in, fast!"

Everyone ran to get their rain coats and boots on. Rev and Rachelle were the first ones to the barn. Each guest led in the horse they were looking after, leaving a few for Mr. Boswell and the stable hands.

Duck's horse, Misty, refused to exit the pasture. She kept tugging Duck in the direction of a tree. Finally, the stubborn horse managed to drag the even more stubborn duck over to the tree. Behind the tree was Penny, the expecting mare. Penny didn't look good. Her neck was coated in sweat, she was laying down, and looked like she was in pain.

Misty tugged the lead rope out of Duck's hands and reared up, whinnying to Mr. Boswell. Mr. Boswell rushed over.

Duck was panicking. "I don't know what happened! Misty dragged me over here!"

Mr. Boswell was calm. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. We just need to get her inside. I think it's that time."

Ben came over and helped get Penny on her feet. They slowly led her into the largest stall they had. Penny groaned and layed down again. The Loonatics and Rachelle gathered around the stall door.

"Will she be alright?" Both Cassidy and Lexi asked worriedly.

"I hope so. But she would have been worse if Duck and Misty hadn't found her there. You guys should go inside. We don't want you catching a cold."

So, the eight ran back inside. Mrs. Boswell had hot cocoa waiting for all the guests.

While they were sitting in the lobby, they heard thunder and saw lightning. Suddenly, the lights went out. A few of the younger guests screamed. Cassidy jumped sideways slightly and bumped into Tech. Rachelle grabbed Rev's hand. Lexi seemed to be the only girl not afraid, or at least not showing it.

After about two hours, the lights finally came back on and Mr. Boswell, Ben, Charlie, and the other stable hands came inside. All of them looked sad.

Mr. Boswell cleared his throat before saying anything. "Well, we've got some good news, and we've got some bad news."


	9. Chapter 9 : The Duck and The Foal

Chapter 8: The Duck and The Foal 

Everyone was silent, not sure what to say.

"The good news is, the foal is going to be fine."Mr. Boswell began. Everybody gave a relieved sigh. "The bad news is, well, we lost Penny."

Some of the guests had to go upstairs and tuck their kids into bed. The rest, including the Loonatics and Rachelle, asked what happened to Penny.

"The foal was positioned backwards. Poor Penny just barely had the strength."

Tech glanced at Cassidy. A small tear trickled down her cheek. He set his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok. At least now she's not in pain anymore."

Cassidy tried to smile. "Yeah. You're right."

"But now, we're going to need a foster mare. We may be able to keep up with the foal's appetite for the first few days, but it will keep growing." Ben said.

Lexi got an idea. "What about Annie? She seems gentle enough."

"Yes, she is, but she can't. She's never had a foal, so she's never produced milk. But, it was a good idea."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but shouldn't you tell them about the 'plans'?" Mrs. Boswell cut in.

"Yes! Thank you for reminding me!" Mr. Boswell brightened up. "Next week, all of you that want to, may join in with a big three-day trail ride. And the week after that, we'll be holding a 'show.' There will be many different classes to choose from, including English-styled ones, for those of you who ride English."

Cassidy nodded. She rode English, cause Phantom was too skinny to fit into any of the Western saddles. But, at the thought of competing in front of many people -most of whom she'd never met- she got a sick feeling in her stomach. She hadn't felt this feeling since her last skating competition, the one that convinced her to quit.

Everyone else, though, was excited about the show. So, Cassidy tried to seem as enthusiastic as them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that day, Duck was wandering through the barn. He paused at the stall Penny used to be in. He peeked over the door. In the middle of the stall was a tiny, black foal. The foal's ears were pricked forward, his eyes locked on Duck.

Duck began to walk away, but the foal's eyes became sad and lonely. Even Duck could not stand it, so he went into the stall.

The little baby scrambled to his feet and sniffed Duck all over. Then, he spun around on his heels and trotted around the stall, happy as could be.

This confused Duck. "How come you're so happy? You lost your mother."

The foal stopped and looked at him. His dark eyes seemed to say,_ 'Yes, I am upset about that, but there's nothing I can do about it. So, I must make to best of my situation.'_

Duck froze for a moment. He thought he heard the foal actually speak to him. He shook his head. _'Horses can't talk.'_

The foal walked up and nudged Duck. _'You're strange, but I like you anyway.'_ He seemed to say.

Without realizing it, Duck smiled.


	10. Chapter 10 : Solo Flight?

Chapter 9: Solo Flight? 

"Great job, Cassidy! Next time try giving Falcon a little bit more rein." Charlie suggested from the middle of the ring.

"Okay!" Cassidy called back, steering the big black horse she was riding towards the next jump. She had spent the last couple of days learning to jump. She had watched other guests do it, and it looked amazing. This was her first time actually jumping, she had been doing groundwork over poles before.

In her mind, she counted the strides before the next fence. It was only a few inches off the ground. '3...2...1!' She urged Falcon up and over the jump, this time giving him more rein. She felt like shouting with joy. Actually jumping was even more amazing than just watching it.

From the outside of the ring, she heard applause. Tech, Ace and Lexi were watching her. For just one moment, she lost her focus. Falcon pulled at the reins, trying to get her to concentrate. Cassidy managed to recover herself right before the next jump. But Falcon jumped off-balance, and landed ackwardly.

Cassidy brought Falcon to a halt. "Not bad, for a first try. Just try to keep your attention where you are." Charlie offered.

"Thanks for teaching me."

"You're welcome. It was fun."

She led Falcon over to where Tech, Ace and Lexi stood. "Hey Cass. You think you're up for another ride?" Ace asked.

"We're going on the trails." Lexi said.

"Sounds like fun! I'll be with you in a minute." Cassidy then put Falcon away and tacked up Phantom. She met all of them outside.

"Well, gang, we've got three trails to choose from. One leads to the meadow, one leads to the lake, and the other leads to the swamp."

Tech, Cassidy, Rev and Rachelle wanted to go to the meadow, so they went that way. Duck and Slam wanted to see the swamp, so they went that way. Ace and Lexi went to the lake.

Ace rode in silence. Lexi, meanwhile was telling Ace all about Ben and her's plans for training Ghost. Ace didn't hear half of it, as he was too busy thinking.  
'I guess she really likes him.' He sighed.

"Ace? Is something wrong?" Lexi asked worriedly.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." Ace said flatly.

"That doesn't sound like 'nothing' to me."

"I was just thinking, okay? Nothing's wrong." Ace replied.

His words had a sharp edge, and this upset Lexi. 'What's up with him? He's been acting wierd around me ever since...' She suddenly understood what was going on. 'Oh... he's jealous cause I'm spending time with Ben. He obviously wasn't paying attention when I told him that training Ghost means alot to me. But until he cleans up his act, he's on his own.'

The two bunnies rode in silence for the rest of the way. Lexi wished that at least one of the others would have tagged along with them.  
-  
"We're gonna beat you!" Rev and Rachelle called out as they trotted thier mounts towards the edge of the forest.

"Since when did this become a race?" Tech asked, pretending to be confused.

Cassidy laughed. "Everything's a race to Rev."

"This is true." Tech agreed.

When they reached the meadow, the horses pawed the ground, eager to race. All of them urged their horses to run. Rusty and Flaxen almost shot out from underneath Rev and Rachelle. Fortunately, they were used to this, and were able to hang on.

Cassidy leaned forward, pushing Phantom forward into a gallop. Phantom responded happily, her legs stretched out to full power. When she glanced over her shoulder, Tech and Lucky were catching up, fast.

The four chased each other around for a few minutes, but soon slowed to a walk. All of them were out of breath, but not out of energy. They walked along the edge of the meadow.

Suddenly, they heard cashing noises from beside them, in the forest. All four horses spooked. They took off towards the trail leading back to the ranch. A large log layed in the way of Lucky and Phantom, who were blocked in by Rusty and Flaxen. They couldn't swerve, and they were going too fast to stop, so they would have to go over.

_'Please Phantom. Don't send me on a solo flight.'_ Cassidy begged, holding on as tight as she could.

(end chapter 9)


	11. Chapter 11 : An Orphan, Too

Chapter 10: An Orphan, Too. 

Tech's eyes widened when he spotted the log. He had never jumped before. He glanced at Cassidy. She wore a freaked-out, but determined look. He did his best to copy Cassidy's position.

Right before they jumped, Phantom balked, throwing Cassidy onto her neck. Phantom jumped, but was off-balance. When she landed, Cassidy's feet slid out of the stirrups, and she fell off, landing on her right shoulder.

Lucky, although inexperienced in jumping, took off more graceful than Phantom. But he took off too soon, and had to throw in a buck to clear the log. Tech wasn't ready for this, and was flung forward and right out of the saddle. He hit the ground on his torso, and rolled to the side to avoid being run over by Lucky, who had just landed.

Rev and Rachelle got off lucky, as Rusty and Flaxen ran right past the log. They pulled up their horses and turned around.

Lucky, upon realizing his rider had fallen, stopped and came back to Tech. Phantom, however, was too scared to stop, and ran back to the ranch.

Tech helped Cassidy up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I'll live. I've been hit harder than that."

When Rev and Rachelle came up to the two coyotes, they were practically falling out of their saddles, laughing.

Tech grabbed Lucky's reins. "We'd better go catch Phantom." He mounted and then held out his hand to Cassidy. "Want a ride back to the ranch?"

Cassidy smiled and grabbed his hand. "Thank you." She easily vaulted herself up onto Lucky's back. She wrapped her arms around Tech so she would not fall off again. The four headed off towards the ranch at a quick trot.

When they reached the ranch, they found Ben waiting for them, holding Phantom. "Have an accident?" He asked, chuckling.

Cassidy slid off of Lucky's back. "Yeah. They spooked at something in the forest."

They heard hoofbeats behind them. Ace, Lexi, Duck and Slam were walking towards them. When they spotted Tech and Cassidy, they too, began laughing. Only then did they realize the grass and mud covering their faces and clothes.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

After cleaning up the horses and themselves, they went inside. When Duck came inside, he saw Lexi and Cassidy, cooking something. He began to freak out.

"What! What did I do?! I'm innocent, I tell ya! Innocent!" Unfortunately, Cassidy wasn't well-known for her ability to create mouth-watering meals. In fact, the others used her cooking as a threat whenever Duck needed a ego check.  
Lexi glared at him for a moment. "Can it Duck. I'm helping her."

Duck gave out a relieved sigh.

"Besides, this isn't even for you." Cassidy explained. "It's a bran mash, for Phantom and Ghost."

"Oh." Duck walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle full of milk. Both girls stared at him blankly. "It's for Shadow." They still stared at him. "The orphan foal." He then left.

A few minutes later, Duck was in the foal's stall, feeding him. Shadow enjoyed having Duck around.

"I know who you feel, shorty. I'm an orphan, too." The little foal sucked happily on the bottle. Duck smiled. "You seem to like this stuff." Shadow stopped drinking and looked up at Duck. Suddenly, he hiccuped. Duck laughed.

(end chapter 10)


	12. Chapter 12 : An Emergency

Chapter 11: An Emergency

"Whoa, Misty! Whoa!" Duck tried to get his mount to hold still long enough for him to get on. Unfortunately for him, Misty didn't feel like cooperating today.

"Here, Duck! Let me help you!" Rev offered as he grabbed hold of Misty's bridle. As if by magic, Misty stopped prancing and held still for Duck.

"Show-off." Duck mumbled under his breath.

"All-righty gang! Do you have all you're gonna need for the trip?" Ace questioned as he swung up on Thunder. Today was the first day of the three-day trail ride. So many people wanted to participate that they had to split up into groups. The Loonatics and Rachelle were being led by Ben and Falcon, the black warmblood Cassidy learned to jump on. Ace had been hoping that they would be away from Ben, but he didn't say anything.

"Yep!" They all replied.

After a few minutes, they were headed down the trail that leads to the meadow. Upon reaching the meadow, they decided to have a race. The moment the word 'race' had been uttered, Rusty and Flaxen were off. Everyone else, not wanting to be left behind, urged their horses forward. Rusty and Flaxen held the lead, with Falcon and Thunder battling for second. Annie was a close third behind them, with Misty on her tail. Phantom and Lucky challenged each other near the back of the line. Last, but not least, was Red. But, Red suddenly had a change of mood as he began to get faster and faster, soon overtaking all the other horses. They all slowed down at the edge of the meadow.

Slam and Red turned around to face the others, who had shocked expressions on their faces. "What? What did I do"  
"Just suprised the livin' daylights out of us, that's all." Duck retorted.

Lexi was suddenly picking something up with her super-hearing. It sounded like a snake. A rattlesnake. Before she could say something, Annie reared. All the other horses jumped and pranced, except Phantom, who reared like Annie. Then, the two mares took off.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Both girls pleaded, pulling on the reins. Suddenly, they did whoa, but it was more of a sudden stop that flung both girls into the brush.

"Lexi!" Ben and Ace called out. Ace glared at Ben, but Ben didn't notice.

"Cassidy!" Tech yelled as he slid off Lucky.

All three boys rushed to the girls' sides. Ace gently lifted Lexi up. There was a large gash on her upper left arm. They soon found out why. Under the brush was tons of large stones. Tech gently lifted Cassidy. She had several small cuts on her arms, but the largest one was on her right wrist. Both girls were unconscious.

"We'll make camp here." Ben said as he began to unpack the camp supplies from his large backpack. Rev grabbed Cassidy's sleeping bag and unrolled it so Tech could lay her down on it. Duck did the same for Ace.

"Good thing I brought a first-aid kit." Tech mumbled as he cleaned out the girl's wounds and bandaged them up. After a few moments, the girls came to.  
Tech sat beside Cassidy. "Are you okay? You took a nasty fall back there."

"Yeah, I'm fine." She reassured him. Tech didn't fully believe it, as she was known to be stubborn when it came to her health, always assuring everyone she was fine even when she wasn't.

Ace sat beside Lexi, secretly keeping Ben away. Lexi, too, said she was fine. None of them felt like getting into an arguement, so they all just got out their sleeping bags, and soon everyone was asleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Early the next morning, Ace was the first to wake up. He glanced around. Seeing no one else was up, he leaned over Lexi and gently kissed her cheek. No movement came from her or anyone else.

A little while longer, everyone woke up, until there was only Cassidy still asleep.

Ace glanced at Cassidy, who was still asleep. "Is she still out?"

Tech nudged her slightly. There was no movement. "Like a light." He smiled at her.

Lexi's eyebrow raised when she saw this. "She looks cute when she's asleep, doesn't she?" She asked Tech.

Tech just shrugged innocently.

Slam tilted his head curiously. "Is she still breathing?"

"Yes, I am, Slam." Cassidy's brown eyes opened. She sat up and stretched.

Tech could barely keep himself from laughing. "Nice hair." He commented.

Cassidy's fire-red hair was frizzy, and chunks of it had fallen out of the braid. "Thanks." she said scarcastically as she reached into her backpack and pulled out her hairbrush.

"Bad Tech, bad. You should never comment negatively on a girl's hair." Lexi shook her finger.

"Yeah, it can be hazzardous to your health." Duck added.

Ace ruffled Lexi's hair, making it worse than Cassidy's. "By the way, nice hair."

Lexi threw up her hand and sighed. "Have you guys learned nothing from me?"

All of them replied, "Nope."

"And they never will." Cassidy added. All of them laughed.

(end chapter 11) 


	13. Chapter 13 : Ghost Stories

Chapter 12: Ghost Stories

"Are you sure you're up to riding Annie by yourself?" Ace asked Lexi for the fifth time that morning.

Lexi sighed. "Ace, I'm fine. You can stop worrying."

Cassidy gave Tech a look that said, 'Don't even start...' Tech put his hands up in mock surrender.

As they walked through the forest, Ben asked everyone if they were going to enter the show. Lexi was the first to reply. "I'm going to try barrel racing. I hope I can get Ghost ridable by then."

Rev and Rachelle were also going to enter in barrel racing. Ace wanted to try roping. Slam was going to enter the heavy-weight pulling competition. Duck and Tech wern't sure if they were going to. When Ben asked Cassidy, she hesitated.

"I don't know." She simply stated.

"You and Falcon make a pretty good team in the ring." Ace pointed out.

Cassidy blushed slightly at his compliment. "Thanks, but I'm just not sure..." Her voice trailed off. She wanted to tell them, she truely did, but her shyness took over her brain with Ben around. If it was just her and her friends, they would already know.

Tech could sense her hestitancy. He also understood it. It had been hard for her to try and rebuild her life after the meteor erased her memory. Not to mention the fear she had since then. A fear of competing in front of people. If it was just the seven of them, she was as competitive as Duck. He smiled to himself when he remembered the look of relief in her eyes when she shared her story with him, and he promised to keep it a secret.

Duck was just about to say something, when suddenly, Misty's head shot up as she reached for some leaves on the trees they were passing. "Wha.. hey!" After straightening out Misty, he began to think about the show. He tried to decide which competition he wanted to enter. Barrel racing? No, Misty didn't have the speed. Roping? That looked dangerous to him. Show Jumping? How do you do that, anyway? Oh well, he would find something he could do.

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Just as the sun was setting, the Loonatics, Ben, and Rachelle were untacking the horses. After tying them to special posts stuck in the ground, they gathered around the campfire for marshmallows. Lexi sat between Ace and Ben. Duck, Slam and Tech sat on a log with Cassidy laying on her stomach beside Tech. Rev and Rachelle sat together on another log.

Cassidy's eyes widened when she saw Tech's marshmallows. She sat up and tapped his shoulder. "Uh, Tech?"

Tech turned and looked at her. "Yes?"

Cassidy pointed at his stick. "Your marshmallows are on fire."

Tech looked in the direction she was pointing. The flame had began to crawl up the stick, and was now only a few inches away from his hand. Tech jumped up in suprise and dropped the stick.

Cassidy picked up the stick and threw it in the fire before the grass caught the flame. Because of her flame-throwing powers, her hands did not get burned.

Meanwhile, everyone else was falling over, laughing. Before either coyote could react, two waves of cold water washed over them. They turned around to find Duck and Slam holding pails.

"Eh, you're a little late there, guys." Ace said.

After drying off, they wrapped themselves in their sleeping bags. Cassidy's eyes began to droop, and she was soon asleep. Tech wore a shocked expression, as Cassidy had fallen asleep against his arm. It was all the others could do to keep themselves from laughing. But, Rev couldn't for long, as Rachelle had also fallen asleep against him.

Tech slowly and carefully layed her down on the ground. Rev did the same with Rachelle. Lexi tried to hold back her giggles.

Duck suddenly got an idea. "Let's tell ghost stories!"

This caught everyone's attention, particularily Ace and Slam's. They decided for Ace to go first. "Okay, one day, a long time ago, there were two wabbits. No one is sure what their names are. They decided to go on a picnic in the woods. Everything started out fine, untill a freak storm suprised them. Everything was dark as they fought their way through the woods. Suddenly, the goil stopped. She could see glowing green eyes ahead of her. The eyes creeped closer, closer, and closer, until it was only a few feet away. The poor goil was frozen with fear. Suddenly, the owner of the eyes jumped out of the brush. The goil screamed with terror. And the eyes screamed as well."

Lexi nearly jumped off the log when Ace imitated the scream. It also woke up Cassidy and Rachelle, who jumped up, yelling. "What in the the...!"

Just then, they could hear a wild coyote howl at the moon. Shivers ran up and down everyone's spine as Ace continued the story.

(end chapter 12) 


	14. Chapter 14 : In Love?

**Chapter 13: In Love?**

"... When the guy hoid the goil scream, he rushed to her aid. But, when he reached the area where she was, there was no one in sight. Behind him where two pairs of glowing green eyes. The eyes rushed out of the bushes, revealing two zombie-like creatures. One had the form of a wolf, the other the form of the goil. The wolf zombie attacked the guy, soon turning him into a zombie as well. Ever since then, people have claimed to have seen the three zombies wandering in the woods during a full moon. And, whenever there is a suprise storm, I would suggest not going into the woods." Ace finished.

Everyone was silent. Duck looked up into the night sky. There was a full moon out. "Uh, you don't think that those zombies would be in these woods, do you?"

Everyone gave him a questioning look.

"Uh, I just...wouldn't want... the girls to be scared! Even if those zombies were in these woods, there wouldn't be any reason to be scared, cause I can chase them off!" He did one of his useless superhero poses. Lexi, Rachelle, and Cassidy folded their arms and glared at him.

Lexi yawned and crawled into her sleeping bag. "Well, good night people."

"'Night, Lex." Ben and Ace said at the same time. Ace glared at Ben, but Ben didn't notice.

"Good night, Cassidy." Tech laughed as he finished, "Don't let the zombies bite!" Cassidy slapped him. "Ow!"

"Good night, Rev." Rachelle leaned over and lightly kissed him on the cheek.

Rev blushed. "Good night."

When the girls were asleep, Tech raised his eyebrow at Rev. "So, you got yourself a girlfriend there, Rev?"

"Yeah, so? What about you and Cassidy?" Rev countered.

"We are just friends."

"I'm not sure if you've already been told, but there's a big awards ceremony after the show. There's going to be food and dancing, as well." Ben cut in.

"Really? Cool! Hey, Tech, are you gonna ask Cassidy to go with you? You should!" Rev piped up.

Ace knew who he was going to ask. He smiled at Lexi, who was fast asleep.

"Rev, for the last time, Cassidy and I are just friends." Tech put emphasis on the word, 'friends.'

"But.." Rev began.

"Don't make me tape your beak shut." Tech threatened.

"You have tape out here?"

Tech reached into his backpack and pulled out a roll of gauze tape. "Not exactly what I wanted to use, but it should work." That kept Rev quiet.

"Mhmm..." Duck was thinking.

"And what exactly does that mean?" Tech questioned.

"Nothing, if you were someone like Ace. But, knowing you, I understand how you really feel."

"Duck..." Tech warned.

"You, my friend, are as shy around girls as Rev is annoying. And it is clear to see that you like her." Duck poked him.

"Wow, Duck. You really are a genius. I do like her. As a friend! Now please, I'm tired. Good night." Tech layed down and tried to sleep._ 'What if Duck's right? I've never fallen in love with a girl before. I don't know what it's like. I could just be confusing myself.'_ He immediately dismissed his thoughts. He didn't even know if Cassidy felt that way about him.

Ace shook his head. "You, Duck, are headed towards Tech's bad side. I would suggest not going any further." Slam laughed as if to agree.

Duck rolled his eyes. "He'll be thanking me when he and Cassidy are together."

"Sure, whatever, Duck. Good night."

**(end chapter 13)**


	15. Chapter 15 : A Date

**Chapter 14: "A Date"**

"Come on, let's race again!" Rev urged Rusty into a gallop as the trail widened, almost enough for five horses to walk side-by-side.

"Flaxen and I are gonna beat you again!" Rachelle challenged as Flaxen easily caught up with Rusty.

"Again? When was the first time?" Rev pretended to be confused. Rachelle gave him a murder look.

They all spread out, leaving plenty of room between each horse. Soon, they came to a log. It was small on one end, large on the other. While everyone except Cassidy went over the low side, Cassidy jumped over the tall side. Phantom didn't even hesitate as they flew over the log.

"If only she would be this calm in the ring, then you'd be all set." Ben pointed out. Cassidy nodded.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Number seven, Miss Cassidy Coyote." A loud voice called out. Cassidy walked forward. She recognized what was going on. This was that day. The day the meteor hit earth. The day that changed her life forever. She panicked. She could not go through with this. She had to stop it. But, she could not control her body's movements.

She stepped out on to the rink. Soon, bouncy music filled her ears as she began her routine. Her mind was screaming, "NO!" but her body was not listening. A backspin, a cartwheel, then a twist, she remembered the exact order of them. It was right after the twist, jumping up into the air and twirling four times, that the meteor struck. People screamed and ran. Cassidy felt herself slipping, pain shooting throughout her body, and then, the sickening feeling of falling.

Cassidy's eyes shot open. Her breathing was heavy and uncontrolled. She sighed with relief, it was only a dream. A horrible dream she hadn't had since she gave up skating. She got out of bed and decided to go sit on the porch for some fresh air. She glanced up at Lexi, who was still asleep. "Good thing we got her into the habit of wearing earmuffs to bed."

Meanwhile, Cassidy wasn't the only one up. Tech was laying in bed, reading. He looked up when he heard the door beside them open and close. He peeked out his door, and saw Cassidy walking outside. He wondered what was keeping her up. And so, he decided to follow her.

Cassidy sat cross-legged on the edge of the porch, staring up into the sky. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the silence that surrounded her.

"Isn't it a little cold out for stargazing?"

Cassidy looked over her shoulder and smile when she recognized the voice. "Hey, Tech."

Tech walked up and sat beside her. "So, what's keeping you up?"

"I had... a... dream." She stammered.

"A dream?" He repeated.

Cassidy nodded. "It was... that day. I haven't had that dream in ages. I thought I was finally over the accident. I guess I was wrong."

Tech set his hand on her shoulder. "It will never completely go away. Skating was a big part of your life. It must of been hard for you to give it up."

Cassidy nodded. "But, I still don't understand why that dream just happened to come back tonight. There's not a skating rink for miles around."

"Well, it could be that you're not afraid of skating, but of competing."

"Yeah, that would also explain my hesitancy to enter the show. I get this sick feeling in my stomach everytime I think about it."

"Well, all I can suggest is for you to just try it. You'll never get over your fear if you don't try. But, if it's too hard for you, don't worry about it."

Cassidy smiled. "Thanks, Tech." She gave him a small hug.

"You're welcome." Tech noticed something. Cassidy was shivering. He wasn't suprised. It was already cold out and Cassidy was only wearing her pajamas. He shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and draped it across Cassidy's shoulders.

Cassidy blushed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tech's mind was now battling to get his mouth to ask her a question. "Uh, Cassidy? Would you...uh... want to, maybe, go to the dance with me. Just as friends?" He blurted out.

"Dance? What dance?"

Tech had forgotten that the girls didn't know. So, he told her what Ben told him. "I was wondering if we could go together, since Rev and Rachelle are, and so are Ace and Lexi, I think."

Cassidy pretended to be insulted. "So, you're only asking me because Rachelle and Lexi are already taken?"

Tech fell for it, and panicked. "No! No, that's not what I.."

Cassidy giggled. "Calm down, Tech. I was only joking. And, to answer your question, yes, I would love to ."

"Uh, really? Great!"

Cassidy stood up. "Well, I'm going inside before me tail freezes."

Tech stood up, too. "Okay."

When they reached their room doors, the stopped. "Good night Cassidy."

"Good night, Tech." When she had shut the door behind her, she hugged the jacket tight around her. She couldn't believe it. She had a date! With Tech! They were just going together as friends, but still, a date!

**(end chapter 14)**


	16. Chapter 16 : Moments of Truth

Chapter 15: "Moments of Truth" 

_Sometimes I'm in a jam_

_I gotta make a plan_

"Okay, Ghost. Please be good for me." Lexi whispered as she adjusted the stirrup on Ghost's saddle. Today, she was going to attempt to ride Ghost. Ghost flinched under Lexi's feather-light weight as she mounted, but, thankfully, did not try to run off.

Ben was holding Ghost's bridle, stroking the mare's cheek. He noticed Lexi's nerved look. "Relax, Lex. Being nervous will only make Ghost nervous, as well."

Lexi nodded as she gathered up the reins. This would be a test of all their hard work. One mistake could ruin the mare's only chance to be like all the other horses.

Ben led Ghost around the ring. Ghost sidestepped and pranced continuously, but did not try to run off.

After a few minutes, Ben stopped and looked at Lexi. "You think you're up to trying it by yourself?"

_It might be crazy_

_I do it anyway_

Lexi thought for a moment. Ghost was suprisingly calm. The worst she could do was toss her, which she had already experienced. She nodded. "Let's do this."

"Okay." Ben slowly let go of Ghost. Lexi lightly nudged Ghost forward. Ghost took off at a trot. Lexi held on tight. Ghost's pace quickened to a canter. Lexi took hold on the reins and brought Ghost to a halt. After standing there for a moment, Lexi again nudged her forward. This time Ghost only walked fast. Lexi stroked her neck, rewarding her for listening. Ghost liked this, and decided to do as Lexi asked.

Lexi brought her to a halt once more. She leaned forward and hugged her neck. "Good girl, Ghost." She slid out of the saddle, landing beside the snow-white mare. She turned to Ben and smiled. "We did it!"

"No, you did it. I helped." Ben corrected her.

"Great job, Lex!" A voice congratulated. Lexi turned around to see Ace sitting on the fence.

_No way to know for sure_

_I'll figure out a cure_

"Thanks, Ace." Lexi led Ghost past him and into the barn. Ace followed her

"So... do you want to go for a trail ride again?" Ace asked.

"Sure. Just give me a minute to untack Ghost and get Annie ready." Ace then disappeared to go tack up Thunder. While about half-way done, Lexi saw Tech, Rev, Duck and Slam wandering around. "Hey, guys! Ace and I are going for a ride. Wanna come?"

"Sure!" And they disappeared to get their horses ready.

_I'm patching up the holes_

_But then it overflows_

Tech found Cassidy in Phantom's stall, brushing her. "Hey, Cass. You wanna come for a ride?"

"No thanks, Tech. I think I'll give Phantom a little break today."

Tech looked at her worriedly. She seemed distracted. Maybe she didn't get enough sleep last night. "Okay." He shrugged.

_If I'm not doing too well_

_Why be so hard on myself_

A few minutes later, Lexi met Ace outside. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yep, we just have to wait for the others."

"The others?"

_Nobody's perfect_

_I gotta work it_

_Again and again till I get it right_

"Yes, I invited Tech, Rev, Duck and Slam to come with us. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all." Ace tried to hide his disappointment. He had been hoping to be alone, but he could always try again.

_Nobody's perfect_

_You live and you learn it_

_Even if I mess it up sometimes_

When Tech, Rev, Duck and Slam arrived, they headed down the trail to the lake. "Where's Cassidy and Rachelle?"

"Rachelle wasn't feeling too good today, so she decided to rest." Rev explained

"And Cassidy wanted to give Phantom a break." Tech explained.

_Nobody's perfect_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Sometimes I work a scheme_

_But then it flips on me_

Cassidy walked into the tack room and grabbed Phantom's bridle and saddle. She quickly tacked the mare up and led her to the large ring outside. No one was in sight. It was lunch time, so everyone was in the cabin, eating. Except Ace, Lexi, Tech, Rev, Duck, and Slam, who were on a trail ride.

_Doesn't work out how I plan_

_Gets stuck in quicksand_

'Tech's right. I need to try. The only way I can try is to get Phantom to try with me.' Cassidy walked into the ring, but Phantom froze, terrified. "Come on, Phantom. You can do this." She faced the mare and stroked her head. Phantom hesitantly stepped into the ring. "Good girl."

_No problem can't be solved_

_Once I get involved_

Cassidy led Phantom around the ring several times before mounting. They just walked around the ring. After several minutes, Cassidy pointed Phantom at one of the small jumps and urged her forward.

_I try to be delicate_

_Then crash right into it_

Phantom trotted towards the jump, but, at the last minute, dug her heels into the ground, sending Cassidy flying over her head and over the jump. Cassidy landed with a large, 'THUMP" on her torso.

_But_ _my_ _intentions are good_

_Sometimes just misunderstood_

"Oww..." She winced as she stood up. She again mounted and pointed Phantom at another jump. Again, Phantom planted herself. But this time, Cassidy managed to stay on. Cassidy tried several more times, and was sent flying several more times.

_Nobody's perfect_

_I gotta work it_

_Again and again till I get it right_

Suddenly, Cassidy got an idea. What if Phantom saw someone jump, as well? Cassidy grabbed Phantom's reins and led her towards the smallest jump. She began to run, and then jumped over it. Phantom stopped again, her legs only a few inches away from the pole.

_Nobody's perfect_

_You live and you learn it_

_Even if I mess it up sometimes_

"Follow me, Phantom." Cassidy urged, beginning to walk away. Phantom hesitantly lifted her one leg up and over the jump. Cassidy automatically rewarded her. Phantom's courage was boosted, and her other three feet followed the first.

_Nobody's perfect_

_I gotta work it_

_I know it's time I found a way_

Cassidy led her over a couple more jumps. Phantom went over them quicker and quicker each time. Cassidy mounted her again and pointed her at a jump. Phantom hesitated only slightly before lifting herself and Cassidy over the jump. Cassidy brought her to a halt, dropped the reins, and hugged the mare's neck. "You did it, Phantom!" Phantom whinnied as if to say "thank you."

_Nobody's perfect_

_You live and you learn it_

_Everybody makes mistakes_

_Nobody's perfect_

(end chapter 15)


	17. Chapter 17 : Goose Chase

Chapter 16: "Goose Chase" 

"Yo, Rev! Slow down! Not all the horses are as fast as Rusty, ya know?" Ace called out to the almost disappearing roadrunner ahead of them.

"Whoops! Sorry!" Rev brought Rusty to a walk.

Soon, the group reached the lake. They let the horses wade in the water. Red and Rusty trotted around in it, soaking everyone nearby. Lucky tried to shake the water off of him, nearly unseating Tech. Annie tried to roll in the water. Thunder was the only one who didn't try to do anything.

When Duck asked Misty to walk forward, the mare just stood there, pretending to drink. Duck gave her a little kick with his heels, and Misty began to back up until the water reached her knees. Duck again asked her to move forward, but Misty only lifted her front legs up into the air, and Duck slid right out of the saddle.

The others broke out in hysterical laughter. Duck scowled as he climbed out of the lake. Misty seemed to be giving Duck a smart look. When Duck mounted Misty again, the saddle made squeaky noises, and the others could not control their laughter.

"So, Tech. Did you ask Cassidy to the dance?" Rev asked.

"Huh? What dance?" Lexi asked. Ace explained about the party after the show. He wanted to ask her, but not here, with the others around.

"You'll see." Tech answered Rev's question.

"That's code for, 'yes.'" Lexi remarked.

"No, it's code for, 'you'll see.'"

"Sure." Lexi rolled her eyes.

When the group returned to the ranch, they found Cassidy in Phantom's stall, combing the mare's creamy tail.

'Hmm.. weird. She was combing Phantom's tail before we left. I wonder what she was doing while we were gone.' Tech thought. "Hey, Cass! We're back!"

"And hungry!" Slam added.

"Let's go get lunch before Slam starts eating the horses' grain." Duck suggested, heading for the cabin.

"Sure!" Cassidy locked up Phantom and followed her friends.

A few minutes later, the Loonatics were resting underneath the shade of a couple of trees, eating lunch. Slam reached beside him to grab his other sandwich, but, much to his suprise, did not find it.

"Huh? Where's my sandwich?" He asked, looking all around himself.

"Probably in your stomach." Duck answered.

"No! I didn't eat this one."

"You didn't, but he did." Rev pointed to a goose that was sitting behind them. The goose was gobbling up a few crumbs left from Slam's stolen lunch.

"Hey! That's my lunch!"

"Don't worry, Slam. We'll get you another one." Ace calmed him down.

The goose waddled up to them. He then jumped up and landed on Duck's head. "GAH! Get it off me!" He yelled, flapping his arms above his head.

"I guess he knows when he's around family, huh?" Tech commented. Cassidy and Tech high-fived each other. They had not forgotten Duck's earlier comment.

Before they knew it, they were being surrounded by geese. The geese did not seem happy with Duck. Duck's eyes widened when he saw the army of geese headed for him.

Meanwhile, Ace, Lexi, Rev, Tech, Cassidy, and Slam were almost killing themselves laughing. The sight of Duck being beaten up by geese was too much for them.

A few minutes and two pillows worth of feathers later, the geese got off of Duck and waddled back to their nests.

"Despicable."

(end chapter 16)


	18. Chapter 18 : Shadow's Leap Of Freedom

**Chapter 17 : "Shadow's Leap Of Freedom"**

Tech glanced at his watch. It said, '12:01.' He wondered where Cassidy was. She had asked him to meet her at the outdoor ring at lunch time. He heard hoofbeats behind him. Much to his suprise, he saw Cassidy leading Phantom to the ring. Cassidy smiled at him. "Hey, Tech! I have something I want to show you."

Cassidy walked into the ring. Phantom followed her without hesitation. Tech's eyes widened. The last time he saw Phantom walk into there, Cassidy nearly landed on the ground. Cassidy mounted Phantom and urged her into a trot. They trotted around the ring several times. She then pointed Phantom at one of the jumps set up in the ring. Phantom flew over it easily. Cassidy brought her to a halt in front of Tech. She slid off of the mare. Tech put his hands up. "Well! And I thought I saw everything!" He laughed. "How in the world did you do that?"

"All thanks to you." Cassidy smiled at him.

"Me? What did I do?"

"What you said the other night, about facing my fear. You were right. And not just about me, but also about Phantom. We both needed to try. And thanks to you, Phantom's now enjoying doing what she loves. Competing."

Tech was silent, having no clue what to say. Cassidy led Phantom out of the ring. She hooked her free hand through Tech's arm and the three walked into the barn. After putting away Phantom's saddle and bridle, Cassidy came out of the tack room carrying Tech's jacket. She handed it to him. "You..uh, forgot your jacket the other night."

"Thanks." He took it from her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meawhile, Duck was in Shadow's stall, brushing him. Shadow enjoyed this. He had missed Duck while he was on the trail ride. Mr. Boswell walked over and peeked over the door. "He really seems to like you." He commented.

Duck turned around. "Yeah, he kinda does."

"Well, it's around the time that he was halter broke." Mr. Boswell entered the stall, carrying a tiny foal halter. "Would you mind helping?"

"Okay." Duck hugged the foal's neck, keeping him still long enough for Mr. Boswell to slip the halter on his head. When Duck let Shadow go, he tilted his head to the side, trying to see what was on his face. Then, he tried to rub it off on Duck. After a few minutes, Shadow gave up and pranced around his stall, as if nothing happened. Duck smiled.

"Why don't you let him out in one of the pastures to let him stretch his legs?" Mr. Boswell suggested.

"Sure. Come on, Shadow." Duck called to the black foal. Shadow followed Duck outside, sticking right next to him. Duck opened the gate to an empty pasture. Shadow looked at Duck confusedly. "Go run." Duck shooed him in. Shadow hestitantly stepped in. Finding nothing to be afraid of, Shadow took off, giving several small bucks. He attempted to turn around, but, being uncoordinated, he tripped over his long legs.

"Ouch... Doesn't that hurt him?" Duck asked.

"A little bit. Foals are a lot tougher than they look."

Shadow picked himself up and continued to run. After a few minutes, he began to tire. He spread his spindely legs apart so his head could reach the ground. He began to nibble on the grass.

"He's trying to eat solid foods. Good sign." Mr. Boswell nodded.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Knock, knock! Anyone home?" Rev called. He was standing outside of Rachelle's room, wanting to see if she was okay.

Rachelle opened the door. "Hey, Rev. What's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you were feeling. Are you okay?"

"Better. I don't feel like I'm going to throw up anymore."

"That's great! Uh, have you been told of the dance after the show?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I was wondering if you...maybe... wanted to go with me...if you wanted to." Rev blushed.

Rachelle smiled. "I would love to. It sounds like fun."

"Do you want to go get some lunch?"

"Sure." Rachelle grabbed Rev's hand and the two walked to the kitchen.

**(end chapter 17)**


	19. Chapter 19 : Ready Or Not

**Sorry this one took so long, a bad case of writer's block followed by a cold had me out for most of the week. But, thankfully that's all over with!**

**Chapter 19: "Ready Or Not"**

"'Morning, Cass!" Tech called out, resting his arms on Phantom's stall wall. Cassidy nearly jumped in suprise when she heard him. "Are you okay?" Tech asked worriedly. "You seem... jumpy."

"Pre-show nerves. I'll get over it." Cassidy walked up to him. "Thanks again, Tech. I wouldn't be doing this without your help." She smiled at him.

"It was fun." Tech smiled as he remembered helping Cassidy get Phantom ready for the show. Once, he made as much noise as he could, to get Phantom used to the many loud noises that were sure to be at the show. Neither of them could keep from laughing, especially when Rev decided to help by wrapping strings and bells all over Tech.

Phantom set her nose on Tech's shoulder as if to say, 'Thanks, Tech.'

-----------------------------------------------------------

"Well, Rusty, are you ready?" Rev asked as he brushed Rusty's red-brown coat. Rusty bobbed his head up and down.

"The real question is, are you ready to have your butt whooped at barrel racing?" Rev turned around in suprise. He saw Rachelle standing outside Rusty's stall.

"Is that a challenge?" Rev asked.

"Are you up to it?" Rachelle folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"Bring it on, shorty!" Rev laughed.

"Who are you calling 'shorty'?" Rachelle asked. She and Rev were exactly the same height.

"Uh... nevermind." Both roadrunners laughed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Shadow! Hold still!" Duck whined as he attempted to put Shadow's halter on. The young colt was full of energy, and he could tell that there was something going on.

Duck looked up when he heard somebody laughing. The laughs came from Slam. "Thanks." He muttered. Slam entered the stall. Shadow pulled away from Duck so he could go sniff Slam. Slam glanced at the black foal confusedly as he nuzzled his hands. Duck took the opportunity to put Shadow's small, orange halter on him. "I don't think so, big guy." Duck pulled Shadow away from Slam and began to brush him.

Slam shrugged and went to get Red ready for the show.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Would the contestants for the barrel racing competition please enter the ring?" Mr. Boswell's voice boomed out from the loudspeaker.

Lexi, Rev, Rachelle, and several other guests walked their horses into the ring. They stood in the center for a few minutes so Ben could write down all their names. Then, they exited.

"Number three, Rev Runner, on Rusty."

"Yes! My turn!" Rev trotted Rusty into the ring. The others lined up against the ring fence so they could watch him and cheer him on.

When given the signal, Rev urged Rusty into a quick canter and they headed for the first barrel. They turned tightly around it. Rusty shot off at a gallop at the next barrel, turning around it as quickly as he could. After turning around the thrid and final barrel, they charged towards the finish line. Ace, Lexi, Duck, Tech, Cassidy, and Rachelle began shouting for joy. Rev and Rusty had set a record.

Then, it was a differen guest's turn. Lexi waited at the gate, as she was next. Ace gulped and approached her slowly. "Uh, Lexi?"

Lexi faced him. "Yes, Ace?"

Ace hesitated. "Well, I... uh... OKAY! I know you really like Ben and everything but I was hoping that he had not already asked you this, cause I really want to ask you...uh.. do you want to go to the dance with me?" Ace blurted out, nearly as fast as Rev.

Lexi just looked at him, mouth wide open.

Ace gulped, fearing the worst.

**(end chapter)**


	20. Chapter 20 : Making Up

**Chapter 21: "Making Up"**

"You thought that I had a crush... on Ben?"

"Well... I, uh..."

Lexi began laughing. "I can't believe this! Oh, Ace, you silly goof! Ben was only helping me get Ghost ready. I told you that, like, a million times!"

Ace blinked. This was not the reaction he had expected, but he guessed it was better. "I'm sorry, Lex. It's just that... well... you were spendin' so much time with him, I was just... " His voice trailed off.

"Jealous?" Lexi offered.

Ace rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I guess you could say dat..."

Lexi smiled at him. "I forgive you, Ace. Now that I think about it, I did kinda ignore you."

"Dat's okay, I forgive you, too. Now, about dat dance..."

Lexi linked her arm in Ace's. "It's a date!"

Ace smiled. "Great!"

"Lexi Bunny on Ghost." Was called over the loudspeaker.

"Oh, I've got to go." Lexi began to mount Ghost.

"Wait.. " Ace grabbed her arm. When Lexi looked back at him, Ace gently kissed her cheek. Lexi stared at him in suprise, then smiled. "Well, what are you waitin' for?" Ace asked. "Go kick some tail out dere!"

"Yes, sir!" Lexi giggled , hopping up on Ghost's back. She asked for a trot as they entered the ring. Then, the starting signal sounded, and Ghost took off at a fast canter. They turned sharply around the first barrel, then the second, then the last, then they crossed the finish line. They hadn't been as fast as Rev and Rusty, but very close.

Ace, Tech, Rev, Cassidy, Duck, Slam, and Rachelle were cheering as loud as they could. They ran to the gate after her round. Lexi slid off Ghost and hugged Ace. Ace hugged her back. "Great job."

Rachelle untied Flaxen and hopped up on her, as her turn was after Lexi's.

"Good luck, Rachelle." The others called out after her. Rachelle waved back at them. They cheered for her as she and Flaxen performed their round. Much to their suprise, they tied with Rev and Rusty's time.

Then, all the barrel racing contestants were called into the ring so they could hand out the ribbons. Rev and Rachelle tied for first place, and Lexi placed second.

When they had dismounted and exited the ring, Tech put his arm around Rev's shoulders. "Great job, buddy."

"Thanks, Tech!" Rev said happily.

"And great job, Rachelle and Lexi!" Cassidy added, and the three girls high-fived each other.

"What's next?" Duck asked.

"Show jumping." Ace answered.

Cassidy gulped. It would be her turn soon, and she was dreading it.

A few minutes later, Cassidy was sitting on Phantom, waiting her turn. Tech, riding Lucky, walked up to them. Tech noticed that she was biting her lip furiously. He reached out and set his hand on hers. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. I know it."

Cassidy looked at him in suprise. Thinking that he startled her, Tech removed his hand. Cassidy touched his shoulder. "Thanks Tech. That means a lot to me." She smiled at him.

Tech smiled back. Just then, Cassidy's name was called. Phantom walked towards the gate.

"Good luck, Cass." Tech called out to her. Cassidy glanced over her shoulder and waved. Tech joined the others at the fence.

Cassidy and Phantom trotted around the ring once before beginning the course. When they went past the gang, Tech noticed a small look of fear on her face. Tech gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. Cassidy nervously smiled at him.

_'Okay, Cassidy. Focus. You can do this. You have to do this. If you don't, you'll be letting Phantom, Tech, and yourself down'_ Cassidy took a deep breath and asked Phantom for a canter as she pointed her at the first jump.

"Please be good Phantom." Cassidy whispered to the paint horse beneath her.

**(End Chapter)**


	21. Chapter 21 : Champions

**Chapter 21: "Champions"**

"Go Cassidy! Go Phantom!" Rev yelled.

Phantom spooked at the loud noise and tried to turn away from the jump. "No!" Cassidy gasped, straightening Phantom out. Phantom obeyed and practically flung herself and Cassidy over the jump. Phantom's back legs nudged the bar, but it didn't fall.

"All right!" Rev and Tech high-fived each other.

Having cleared the first jump, Phantom's confidence grew and she took the next jump easier. After what felt like an eternity to Cassidy, they approached the last jump. Much to her horror, it was a water jump. _'Oh, no! I've never done a water jump before!'_ But, Phantom didn't hesitate as she took off. Cassidy clutched the mare's mane, trusting her to not fall. When they landed, Cassidy's foot slid out of the stirrup, and she began to fall. But, she was holding on to Phantom's mane so tightly that she did not hit the ground.

Phantom crossed the finish line and trotted out of the ring, coming to a stop in front of Ace, who grabbed her bridle. Cassidy, hanging half-way out of the saddle, freed her foot from the stirrup and stood up. Practically delusional with happiness, she threw her arms around Tech. "Tech! I can't believe it! I did it!" She squealed.

Tech was taken completly by suprise and began to tip backwards. Fortunately, Lucky was standing right behind him, and pressed his head against Tech's back to keep him up. Tech smiled and hugged her back. "I told you so."

Cassidy, realizing what she was doing, let go of Tech, blushing.

"Really nice exit there, Cassidy." Ace said with a hint of scarcasm, handing her Phantom's reins.

"Wow! That was so cool Cassidy! I bet you'll get first place!" Rev exclaimed.

"Thanks, Rev, but, I doubt that."

Much to Cassidy's suprise, when she and the other riders in the jumping class lined up in the ring, she was given the blue ribbon. When she joined the others outside of the ring, Lexi tackled her in a back-popping hug. "Congrats, Cassidy! I knew you'd win!"

Next was the roping competition. Ace warmed up Thunder before their turn. When his name was called, he walked Thunder into the ring. They had a small mechanical calf riding on a long track as his target. The object was to see how quickly he could get the rope around the metal calf-look-alike's neck and yank it off the track.

The starting buzzer sounded, and the mechanical calf went flying down the track, with Ace and Thunder right behind it. Ace expertly swung his rope above his head and tossed it at his target. It wrapped around the calf's neck in perfect timing. Ace then brought Thunder to a halt. The rope yanked on the mechanical calf's neck and pulled it off the track.

"A perfect round for Ace Bunny!" The announcer said.

As Ace and Thunder exited the ring, Thunder gave a small, excited buck. This caught Ace off gaurd, and he slid out of the saddle, landing with a soft 'thump' on his rear.

Lexi laughed as she ran up to him. "Nice exit."

Ace stood up and brushed himself off. "You're just jealous." He said jokingly.

"Oh, now I'm the jealous one?" Lexi raised her eyebrow. Ace put his arm around her to show her he didn't mean it. Lexi smiled.

"Way to go, Ace!" "Yeah, great job!" The others congratulated him.

"Thanks, guys."

"What's the next event?" Rachelle asked.

Tech read the schedule. "Halter class."

"What event are you entering?" Cassidy asked him.

"Actually... I don't know. I never thought about it. I don't think I will, anyway."

"Why not?" Rev asked.

Tech shrugged. "I guess I'm just not the show-off type."

All of them except Rachelle began laughing. "Yeah, right! You love showing off your inventions!" Cassidy said. "You should give it a try, it's fun!"

"Well... okay. But, which one?"

"While you guys are figuring that out, I'm going to get ready for my turn." Duck said as he untied Shadow from the hitching post.

"Okay, good luck, Duck!" They called out to him.

Duck and Shadow were the first ones for the halter class. "Okay, little buddy, no tricks, okay? Be on your best behaviour."

Shadow gave Duck an innocent look, as if to say, _'Me? Tricks? Of course not!'_ He nudged Duck's leg.

**(end chapter)**


	22. Chapter 22 : Start of Something New

**Sorry I've been gone so long. School just started and boy, is grade 10 hectic. And we start getting homework monday. But, I've found that if I eat breakfast really fast, then I usually have 5-10 minutes to waste, so I waste them working on my stories!**

**Chapter 22 : "Start of Something New"**

Shadow followed Duck out into the ring. They lined up beside many other horses and their people. The judge walked down the line, checking over every horse. Shadow stood as still as could be for the judge. When the judge was finished, Duck scratched Shadow's forehead. Then, the judge asked for Duck to walk Shadow around the ring.

Much to everyone's suprise, Duck unclipped the lead rope and walked away. Shadow tagged along at Duck's heels. After walking once around the ring, they were asked to trot. Shadow obeyed and kepts right beside Duck. Then, they lined up again. The judge walked up and down the line again before making his decision. The judge bent down and pinned a blue ribbon on Shadow's orange halter.

"Great job, Duck! Way to go, Shadow!" Ace, Lexi, Rev, Rachelle, Tech, Cassidy, and Slam called out to him as he exited the ring.

Duck bowed in front of them. "Thanks you. I guess you could say that we did very well. But of course, I wasn't suprised, considering I am an 'exceptional' superhero. This was a piece of cake for me."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Same old Duck, no matter what happens."

Next was Slam and Red's turn. There was only one other team challenging him, a dark-skinned man and a grey Percheron. Each horse was hitched to a large cart. Slam and the other man were given heavy weights, and both horse and rider had to pull the weights all the way across the ring. The first to reach the finish line wins.

When the starting bell rang, the other Loonatics and Rachelle cheered for him. They found a group that was cheering for the other man. The two groups challenged each other, trying to cheer louder than the other.

All the cheering really encouraged Slam, and he and Red pulled as hard as they could. Slowly, they inched past the other man and the Percheron. They soon crossed the finish line, a few feet in front of their opponents.

The others ran to the gate to congratulate him. Slam was so happy, he grabbed everyone and gave them a bone-crushing bear hug. "Slam...we can't... breathe..." Duck wheezed, his bill beginning to turn blue.

"Whoop. Sorry, guys." Slam carefully set them down.

Once they had caught their breath, Rev spoke up. "What's next?"

"The last event is trail class." Cassidy read the schedule.

"Are you going to try that, Tech?" Lexi asked.

Tech shook his head. "I'm already tired from being hugged numerous times."

"Are you sure?" Cassidy asked.

"Positive."

"Well, 'den, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ace led the way to the barn so they could give their horses a well-earned rest.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, Cassidy and Lexi were in their room, getting ready for the dance. Lexi had just finished tying her ears in her green ribbon after brushing her blonde hair. She glanced at Cassidy, who was busy tying her hair into a long braid. She noticed a far-way look in her freind's eyes. "So... did Tech ask you to go to the dance with him?"

That seemed to snap Cassidy out of her trance. "Uh...maybe..."

"You know what, I think he likes you..."

"And how did you get that idea?"

"With a guy like Tech, it's easy to see when he likes someone. He's been spending a lot of time with you, and not to mention the way he reacted to you hugging him. He was smiling."

"We're just freinds. And we are going to the dance together as freinds." Cassidy stood up. She was wearing a light blue blouse and matching skirt.

Lexi inspected her outfit. "Not bad, but this is going to be you first date with him, I think there's something missing..."

"It is not an actual date, we are just going as freinds." Cassidy tried to remind her. Key word, tried.

Lexi reached into her bag and pulled out some lipstick and eye shadow. "I think I can help you..."

Cassidy backed up. "Makeup? Don't you think that that's going a little too far? I mean, I don't want to scare him or anything."

"Don't worry, I'll only put on a little bit. It won't scare him, he'll like it. Trust me."

"But Lexi..."

"Sit." Lexi pointed to the chair.

Cassidy tried to hide her smile. "Oh.. okay." She sighed, sitting down.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Tech and Ace were standing outside the girls' room, waiting.

"Are you waiting for your date?" Ace asked.

"No, I'm waiting for Cassdy."

"Isn't dat the same thing?" Ace raised his eyebrow. Tech ignored it.

Just then, the door opened and the girls walked out. "Wow... you goils look great." Ace stepped forward and hugged Lexi. Lexi hugged him back. Ace glanced at Tech. He smirked and put his finger under Tech's chin and pushed it up to where it was supposed to be.

That snapped Tech out of his trance. He bit his lip. Cassidy giggled. "Well... I guess you like what Lexi did to me."

"Uh... yeah. It looks really..." He struggled to find the right words. "..nice." Tech felt like slapping himself. _'For a genius, you can be quite stupid sometimes.'_

Cassidy blushed. "Thanks." She glanced at Lexi, who was giving her a 'I told you so' look.

"Well, shall we go and meet the others?" Ace held his arm out to Lexi.

Lexi hooked her arm around his. "Let's go!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Living in my own world_

_Didn't understand_

Ace and Lexi were holding hands, gently swaying back and forth to the music. Ace smiled at Lexi, and Lexi smiled back. Ace slowly put his hand on her side. Lexi rested her hand on his shoulder.

_That anything can happen_

_When you take a chance_

Tech and Cassidy stood nearby a table, covered with food and drinks. Tech kept glancing over at her nervously. He wanted to ask her something, but he couldn't muster the courage. Rev walked past them and gave Tech an encouraging nudge in the arm. Tech bit his lip. "Uh... Cass?

_I never believed in_

_What I couldn't see_

Cassidy looked up at him. "Yes?"

_I never opened my heart_

_To all the possibilities_

"Would you...like to dance?"

Cassidy smiled. "I would love to."

_I know that something has changed_

_Never felt this way_

Tech held her hands as they joined the large crowd. Cassidy winced as Tech's foot landed on hers. "Oh... I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that I'm a terrible dancer."

"That's okay, Tech. I used to be, too."

_And right here tonight_

_This could be the start of something new_

Tech's hand began to shake as it slowly moved towards her side. 'What if she doesn't like that?' He thought. His hand froze. Inside, he was panicking. He didn't know what to do. This was completely new to him.

_It feels so right_

_To be here with you_

Cassidy also felt as nervous as Tech. She had dated before, when she was in college, but she had never felt like this. This was different. It almost scared her. The soft look in Tech's eyes, the feeling of his hands holding hers. As his hand touched her arm, she felt a shock go through her.

_And now looking in your eyes_

_I feel in my heart_

She glanced up at him. He looked at her. Their noses touched. They both jumped a little and looked away. Cassidy blushed. Tech bit his lip. Before either of them could say anything, the sound of buzzing and a little boy's cries was heard. "HELP!"

_The start of something new_

**(End Chapter)**


	23. Chapter 23 : True Love's First Kisses

**Chapter : "True Love's First Kisses"**

A small boy went running through the crowd, waving his hands over his head. A huge swarm of bees followed him. Everyone ran out of the building.

Once a safe distance from the building, the bees stopped chasing them and returned to their nest. Everyone walked to the pond that was nearby.

_I never felt this feeling before_

_She gives me shakes and shivers I can't ignore_

"Race ya, Rachelle!" Rev shouted, jumping across the rocks that formed a path across the pond.

"It's on!" Rachelle giggled, following him.

_And I see that there's more now than just running free_

Upon reaching the last rock, Rev turned around to see how close Rachelle was. She was one rock behind him, but her foot slipped and began to fall. Rev caught her before she fell. "Thank you, Rev." Rachelle straightened up. She reached over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek and then hopped across to the grass.

_I've never felt my heart beat so fast_

Rev smiled and followed her. Rachelle sprinted across the grass, seeing if he would follow. And he did. "Are you challenging me to a race?" She asked.

_I'm thinking of him first and of myself last_

"Only if you want to."

"Let's go, Speedy."

_And how happy I want him to be_

------------------------

_It's amazing_

Ace and Lexi sat at the top of the small hill overlooking the pond. Ace's hand accidently overlapped Lexi's. They glanced at each other. Ace cleared his throat. "Lexi... there's something I've been wanting to say to you for a long time..."

_Someone in my life just might be loving me_

"Yes, Ace?"

"Well, I don't know exactly how to tell you this... but... I... I love you!" He blurted.

_I didn't know that I could feel this way_

Lexi stared at him blankly for a moment. "Really?"

"Yes, really."

_It's so crazy_

"Ace... I don't know what to say..." Lexi began.

Ace bit his lip. "Oh... I understand..."

"I love you, too."

_Something in my life is better than a dream_

Ace blinked. "Really?"

"Yes, Ace, I've felt this way for a while, but I was just worried that you didn't feel the same way."

Ace put his arm around her. "Well, you know now." He moved closer and kissed her. The kiss took Lexi by suprise and she practically fell into his arms.

_I didn't know that I could feel this way_

_-------------------------------------_

_She makes me warm and happy inside_

Cassidy hopped across a few of the rocks. She turned around a saw Tech walking around the pond. "Why don't you come this way?" She asked

Tech stopped. "No thanks, I think I'll take the long way around."

_He smiles and I get dizzy and starry-eyed_

"Chicken." Cassidy teased.

Tech raised his eyebrow. "Oh, we'll see who's chicken." He turned around and ran across the rocks to her.

_All these feelings I have have me asking_

Cassidy gave a small squeal and began to run up the hill. Tech caught up with her and tickled her. Cassidy turned around to try and bat his hands away, but tripped and landed on her rear. Tech sat down beside her.

_Can this be love?_

_-----------------------------------------------_

_It's crazy_

Rachelle peeked out from behind a tree. Rev bolted towards her, but once he got there, she was hiding behind another tree. Rachelle giggled. "What? Mr. Speedy can't catch a girl?"

_I can hardly speak_

Rev looked confused. "How did you do that?" He ran at her again, but once he was there, she was again behind another tree.

"That's my secret."

"Do you have powers, too?"

_Whenever you say 'hi'_

"Powers? No. I guess I'm just really good at hide-and-seek." She shrugged.

Rev was still confused. _'How did she do that?'_ He wondered, while attempting again to catch her, but with no luck

_I didn't know that I could feel_

--------------------------------------

Fireflies began flying around Cassidy's head, seemingly forming a crown around her ears. Tech couldn't help but stare. Cassidy giggled at Tech's star-struck look. Tech moved slightly closer to her. "Cassidy?"

_I never dreamed that I could feel_

"Yes, Tech?"

Tech's mind realized what he wanted to do._ 'No! What the heck do you think you're doing? You're not ready for this!'_ Tech hesitated. "I... uh..."

_I didn't know that I could feel this way_

Rev and Rachelle went running past them. Rev tripped and fell into Rachelle, who knocked Cassidy over.

Cassidy felt something against her lips. She opened her eyes, and, much to her suprise, found herself looking into Tech's yellow-green eyes. Only then did she realize that she was laying on top of Tech, and her lips had met his. Her eyes wide with panic, she scrambled off of him.

Tech slowly sat up, his heart pounding. Cassidy was silent, her hand covered her mouth. Terrified, Cassidy stood up and ran towards the trees. Tech stood up, absolutely confused. _'What did I do wrong?'_

Duck, who had obviously seen the whole thing, gave a self-satisfied snort. "Girl troubles, Tech?"  
Tech gave him a death glare. "Can it." He ran after Cassidy. He peeked out from behind a tree. Cassidy was standing there, her whole body shaking. "Cassidy?" He set his hand on her shoulder.

Cassidy looked up at him, seeing a hurt look in Tech's eyes. "Oh, Tech, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Cassidy, it wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault. It's just, well.. I guess neither of us are ready for things to change right now."

"Yeah, I really don't want to ruin our freindship just because it wasn't time."

"Not to mention what it could do to the team. A lot of people count on all of us."

"You're right. We have to put the team first." They both glanced at the ground for a moment. Cassidy looked up at him hopefully. "Are we still... friends?"

Tech smiled at her. "Of course." He put his arms around her in a hug. Cassidy smiled and hugged him back.

**(End Chapter)**

**is drowned in bricks from people who wanted Tech and Cassidy to be together at the end of this story I'm sorry! Just give me a chance to explain! The big plotline in my fanseason cannot allow them to be together at this time. But don't worry, it will all work out in the end!**


	24. Chapter 24 : Home Sweet Acmetropolis

**I actually wrote this chapter last night, but just when I was about to put it up, the internet went down. Again. I'm beginning to hate Xplorenet. If you're thinking of having them as your internet provider, I advise against it. It sucks.  
HUZZAH! THE FINAL CHAPTER!**

**Chapter 24: "Home Sweet Acmetropolis"**

The next day, the Loonatics were preparing to leave Acme West and head home. Ace walked to Thunder's stall and patted the steel gray stallion. "Well, buddy, it's been great, but I've gotta go home now." Thunder nodded his head up and down as if to say, _'Okay, bye!'_

Lexi hugged Ghost's neck. "Bye, girl, I'll miss you."

Rev held out a carrot for Rusty. "Bye Rusty. Be good." Rusty munched the carrot happily.

Tech scratched Lucky's forehead. "Bye, Lucky." Lucky drew his long, pink tongue all over Tech's face. Tech wiped his face off with his shirt sleeve. "Yeah, I'll miss you, too."

"Bye bye Red." Slam grumbled to the Clydesdale. Red rubbed his head against Slam's side. Slam smiled.

"Bye, Phantom." Cassidy hugged the golden mare's neck. "And thank you for helping me." Phantom gave her a horsie hug.

Duck knelt down in front of Shadow. "Well, it's time for me to go, buddy." Shadow grabbed Duck's shirt in his teeth. "I'm sorry, but I have to go home now." Still, Shadow would not let go of his shirt. Duck got an idea. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a Danger Duck plushie. "I was going to give this to an adoring fan, but I think you might want it more." Shadow sniffed it curiously, then grabbed it in his teeth. He pawed around in his stall and then set the Duck plushie down.

"Aww... He really likes it." Lexi commented.

"Well, Duck, it looks like you really do have a fan." Ace said.

"Suprisingly..." Tech whispered to Cassidy. Cassidy giggled.

-  
Rachelle looked up at Rev. "Goodbye, Rev. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too." Rev said in an unusually slow tone. Rachelle reached up and kissed him. When she pulled away from him, Rev was silent.

"Hey, why don't you come back to Acmetropolis with us?" Ace suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for the offer, Ace, but I am afraid I cannot."

Rev's face fell. "Why not"  
"I must return to Acme London, where most of my family lives. I have a very important job there. I'm one of the few of us able to keep a job, I must return home and help my family."

"I understand." Rev hugged her.

"Don't worry, maybe one day I will visit you in Acmetropolis." Rachelle turned around and walked towards her car. "Goodbye." She called out.

"Bye!" The Loonatics called back.

Tech glanced at Rev. He looked very upset. Tech set his hand on Rev's shoulder. Just then, Mr. Boswell walked up to them. "I would like to thank you all for visiting. I hope you enjoyed your stay."

"Yeah, we did." They all replied.

"Duck, Lexi, Cassidy, I would like to thank you especially for helping with Shadow, Ghost, and Phantom. Thanks to you three, Shadow is happy and healthy, Ghost is able to reach her potential, and Phantom is no longer scared of riding arenas."

"You're welcome." Lexi replied. Cassidy just blushed.

"You're welcome, I'm just glad that the little guy's gonna be okay." Duck replied.

"Well, I hope you can come and visit again. You are always welcome here. Goodbye." Mr. Boswell turned and went to say goodbye to some of the other guests.

A few minutes later, the Loonatics were all packed into their car and were headed home. Tech and Cassidy glanced at each other. "Three... Two... One..."

"Are we there yet?"

"Rev..." Ace, Lexi, Duck and Slam sighed. Tech and Cassidy laughed.

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"Ah.. Loonatics, welcome back. It's great to see you all again." Zadavia walked up to them as the Loonatics entered HQ.

"It's great to be back." Lexi replied, setting her bag down.

"Agreed." Ace nodded. "Did we miss anything?"

"There were a few minor things, but I was able to handle it. I trust that you all had a relaxing vacation?"

"Yeah. It was great."

"Research shows that equine therapy is one of the most effective and popular therapies known." Tech said. Cassidy nodded in agreement.

"Equine?" Duck repeated, confused.

"Horse." Cassidy explained.

The Loonatics spent the next half and hour briefly telling Zadavia about their adventures. When they had finished, Lexi and Ace exchanged looks. _'Should we tell them?'_

_'Yes, we should.'_

Ace cleared his throat. "Well... Lexi and I have something to tell you..." All of them paid close attention as Ace and Lexi told them what had happened between them.

At first, Zadavia just stared at them blankly, but her expression softened, then went serious. "I cannot control your feelings for each other, but I hope that you will not allow them to affect your duties."

"We would never do that." Lexi said, putting her arms around Ace. Ace smiled at her, and Lexi smiled back.

Zadavia's expression softened again. It was clear to see that they were happy together. "Well, then, I have no reason to be against this."

"What do you guys think?" Ace asked.

"As long as you two don't do any of that mushy-gushy stuff around me, I'm fine with it." Duck commented. Everyone else rolled their eyes.

"It's okay with me, I'm happy for you." Tech said.

"I second that!" Cassidy nodded.

"I third it!" Rev shouted.

"Four!" Slam grunted.

Lexi giggled. "Well, I guess that makes it unanimous."

Tech smiled. It was great seeing them happy. Sure, his and Cassidy's date didn't turn out exactly as planned, but he was content with the outcome. He glanced at Cassidy._ 'I wonder.. does she feel the same way as me?'_

**(End chapter)**

**There you go, the very last chapter! Thank you everyone who read this, your comments are what kept me going! glomps everyone**


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